YALE MEN'S BASKETBALL: Bulldogs can't take the bite out of 13th-ranked Gators

NEW HAVEN -- With no disrespect intended, Florida's Kenny Boynton said Sunday's game at Yale reminded him of playing a high school game.

Boynton apparently dominated the game in his prep school days. On Sunday he scored 28 points including a blistering 8-for-10 effort from 3-point range as 13th-ranked Florida defeated Yale 79-58 before a sellout crowd at the Lee Amphitheater.

Boynton, an NBA prospect who entered the game making just 7-of-39 attempts from beyond the arc in his last six games, broke the school mark with eight 3-pointers as Florida (10-2) won for the third straight time.

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Yale (5-11) was led by freshman Justin Sears with 15 points and Javier Duren had 14. Armani Cotton added 12. And importantly, the Bulldogs were gritty throughout the entire affair.

Unlike last year when Yale seemed to succumb to the moment in its biggest game of the season where they were blown out by Harvard in front of their lone sellout crowd of the season, this time the Bulldogs embraced the challenge.

"Yale's got a good team, and I thought we were tested and challenged for most of the game," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "I think the game will make us better and hopefully it will help them, too."

Said Duren: "Not too many schools like us get to bring a top-ranked team like Florida into their house. It was a great experience. There are a lot of things we can learn from this game.

"We didn't back down. There are a lot of positives. We were in the game. We have a lot of things to fix, but we have a while until the Ivy League starts. It was a great atmosphere and I had a lot of fun."

Yale lost any chance of pulling off a major upset when Florida went on an extended 26-3 run spanning both halves. Yale trailed 21-20 after a field goal by Michael Grace with 5:28 left in the first half, but the Gators finished with a 14-3 spurt, getting the final three points on free throws by Casey Prather to take a 35-23 lead into the break.

Florida then ramped up the pressure defense to start the second half, and its sheer speed and size put the game away. Yale turned the ball over four straight times and was forced to call three timeouts trying to break the press in the first four minutes of the second half.

When the deluge was over, Florida led 50-27.

But the Bulldogs' effort wasn't over. Sears had four steals and Cotton grabbed a team-high five rebounds and Yale forced 13 turnovers.

"You take out four minutes of the game, not that you can, but we're right there," Yale coach James Jones said. "I thought we were able to score in the second half, but (Boynton's) 3-pointers helped them keep the lead.

"There were a few opportunities in the first half where we could have gotten them to second guess about pressing us. But then we started turning it over."

Florida played without Erik Murphy, a Rhode Island native whose father Jay played at Maloney-Meriden before heading to Boston College and eventually the NBA. Erik Murphy leads the Gators in scoring at 14.7 points but missed the game with bruised ribs.

Will Yeguete had 14 points and Mike Rosario added 13. Scottie Wilbekin had 10 assists for the Gators who shot 60 percent from the field.

Donovan, who has won two national titles, was impressed with environment.

"There's something in the Northeast," he said. "Whether it's The Palestra, Madison Square Garden or whether it's coming to a place like this. There's so much history. It's unique. This is a special school. It's got unbelievable tradition academically and athletically. James Jones has been here for a long time and he's built a heck of a program.

"I think it was a great experience for our guys. Walking out here in the shoot-around, we came in here last night to get a taste of the building and I think those chair backs are right out of the 1930s. There's a lot of nostalgia and mystique. There's something about some of those older places. It's a special place to play basketball, and I'm happy our kids had a chance to experience it."

Yale played without starting forward Brandon Sherrod (abdomen) and key reserve Jesse Pritchard (concussion). There is no timetable for their return.

It was the highest-ranked team to play at the Payne Whitney Gym since No. 10 North Carolina beat Yale 70-53 in 1974.